The Washington Commanders had one bright spot in blowout loss to Lions that shouldn’t be ignored
The Commanders need a win anywhere they can get one.
The Washington Commanders suffered their fourth straight blowout loss by 21 points or more, and there wasn’t much to be proud of.
Players like rookie cornerback Trey Amos got hurt and could miss the rest of the season, while defensive leader Daron Payne was ejected and received a one-game suspension for throwing a punch. It was an overall nightmare of a game for the Commanders.
There was one bright spot, however, in an area where nobody else has had success against the Detroit Lions this season, which deserves acknowledgment.
Aidan Hutchinson was a non-factor against Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr.
One of the biggest matchups for the Commanders was making sure Lions’ star defender Aidan Hutchinson stayed out of the backfield, which nobody has been great at this season. Veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil has been dominant all season, while rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has had a roller coaster season, as expected. This was a matchup for both of them to show their ceiling, and that’s what they did.
Tunsil had a clean stat sheet, while Conerly Jr. only allowed one hit and one pressure all game. Hutchinson had his worst game of the season against the Commanders with only two pressures, one hit, and zero sacks.
Even after the Week 10 slate of games, Hutchinson still leads the league in pressures with 57, and it just shows how impressive Tunsil and Conerly Jr. were on Sunday. The Commanders need every draft pick to hit, so Conerly Jr. showing he can be a franchise piece is huge.
The same can be said for Tunsil after general manager Adam Peters traded away multiple picks to the Houston Texans to acquire him, and he’s been worth it every week.
Laremy Tunsil stats through Week 10 of the 2025 season
- Sacks: One (Week 1)
- Pressures: 12
- Hits: One (Week 2)
- Hurries: 10
- Pass Blocking: 348 snaps
The Commanders have a lot of roster needs
The Commanders clearly have so many roster spots to fix this offseason on both sides of the ball, and they don’t have much draft capital to work with. Knowing they have two sound tackles helps with the rebuild, and both should be around for years to come. This allows them to focus on other positions, as they have only six picks for the 2026 NFL draft, and only two in the top 100.
Protecting your franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, who has dealt with many injuries this season, is the most important goal for the Commanders, and they won’t have to worry about the tackle positions. Now, they need to get him more help on offense and rebuild the defense after an overhaul this offseason, with many changes already happening.
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